1. e4
    Joined
    06 May '08
    Moves
    42492
    14 Apr '15 09:51
    The Anti-Social Chess Player is the one to watch if you
    suspect skull doggery and a computer being used in a game.

    Note it starts off with..."A Russian grandmaster friend of mine..."
    I want a name or is this Russian Grandmaster friend of his anti-social.

    From Stephen Moss in The Guardian on the Gaioz Nigalidze, affair.

    "A Russian grandmaster friend of mine is convinced that cheating in top-level
    open tournaments (as opposed to elite events with small invited fields) is rife.

    The temptation is enormous because the only people who make serious
    money from playing are the top 20 or so GMs in the world, who get invites
    to all the most prestigious tournaments.

    That leaves a host of impoverished GMs fighting for scraps, unless they are
    willing to subject themselves to the grind of teaching chess to amateurs.

    The more antisocial types – not uncommon in chess – dislike teaching,
    and try to eke out a living from playing.

    That’s where the temptation to cheat comes in: if you don’t win a prize,
    you might not eat that week, let alone pay the rent."


    http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/13/chess-toilet-scandal-cheating-gaioz-nigalidze
  2. SubscriberPaul Leggett
    Chess Librarian
    The Stacks
    Joined
    21 Aug '09
    Moves
    113497
    15 Apr '15 22:21
    Originally posted by greenpawn34
    The Anti-Social Chess Player is the one to watch if you
    suspect skull doggery and a computer being used in a game.

    Note it starts off with..."A Russian grandmaster friend of mine..."
    I want a name or is this Russian Grandmaster friend of his anti-social.

    From Stephen Moss in The Guardian on the Gaioz Nigalidze, affair.

    "A Russian grandmaster ...[text shortened]... tp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/13/chess-toilet-scandal-cheating-gaioz-nigalidze
    I'm glad you posted this, as it made me think.

    Cheating in a chess tournament with money prizes is a form of stealing, and while obviously none of us advocate either one, I myself make a mental distinction between the motivations of greed vs needing to eat or pay rent.

    Charles Dickens could have had a field day writing about an itinerant chess player. I suppose Nabokov won the field by default.
  3. e4
    Joined
    06 May '08
    Moves
    42492
    16 Apr '15 01:10
    If one's only source is income is tournament winnings then
    it's quite hard unless you are in the top 20 with invitation fees.

    Outside of the very top Keith Arkell & Mark Hebden do it on the UK circuit.
    I think both top themselves up financially with lessons. So it can be done.

    I was interested in the Russian GM friend who thinks cheating is rife.
    It's going to come down to who has the best mobile program.

    Hard to define it where money is involved. Is it theft or fraud?
  4. Wat?
    Joined
    16 Aug '05
    Moves
    76863
    16 Apr '15 04:05
    Originally posted by greenpawn34
    If one's only source is income is tournament winnings then
    it's quite hard unless you are in the top 20 with invitation fees.

    Outside of the very top Keith Arkell & Mark Hebden do it on the UK circuit.
    I think both top themselves up financially with lessons. So it can be done.

    I was interested in the Russian GM friend who thinks cheating is rif ...[text shortened]... has the best mobile program.

    Hard to define it where money is involved. Is it theft or fraud?
    It's both! Simple as that.
  5. Standard memberbill718
    Enigma
    Seattle
    Joined
    03 Sep '06
    Moves
    3298
    16 Apr '15 10:51
    Originally posted by greenpawn34
    The Anti-Social Chess Player is the one to watch if you
    suspect skull doggery and a computer being used in a game.

    Note it starts off with..."A Russian grandmaster friend of mine..."
    I want a name or is this Russian Grandmaster friend of his anti-social.

    From Stephen Moss in The Guardian on the Gaioz Nigalidze, affair.

    "A Russian grandmaster ...[text shortened]... tp://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/13/chess-toilet-scandal-cheating-gaioz-nigalidze
    This makes me wonder if the game of chess needs professional players at all. It seems when money is involved in the game as prizes, problems tend to multiply.
  6. Standard memberBigDogg
    Secret RHP coder
    on the payroll
    Joined
    26 Nov '04
    Moves
    155080
    18 Apr '15 17:05
    Originally posted by bill718
    This makes me wonder if the game of chess needs professional players at all. It seems when money is involved in the game as prizes, problems tend to multiply.
    It needs them if you want to watch quality games.
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